Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), is a society of secular priest and lay people who dedicate their lives to missionary activities. For decades, PIME has been concealing the sexual misconduct of minors.
For over 60 years, Mr. Bruce Merlihan, aged 72, has suffered from depression and anxiety, with no understanding of what the root cause was until seeing a commercial regarding “Clergy Abuse” triggered his memories.
In 1961, Mr. Bruce Merlihan was a minor, aged 11 or 12, when he was introduced to PIME. Mr. Merlihan, through his introduction to PIME, decided he wanted to become involved in missionary work in Africa, he made a choice to join PIME so that he could “save the savages”. Mr. Merlihan did not know he would be subjected to sexual misconduct and manipulation.
Prior to going to Africa, Mr. Merlihan would spend time at PIME with the residing priests. Mr. Merlihan’s time would be spent with the priests and at times Mr. Merlihan would stay overnight in the dormitory where the priests’ sleeping quarters were. During several of his overnight stays, Mr. Merlihan recalls a priest who was in his forties or fifties, slim built, standing 5’8 or 5’9 with slightly grey hair, come into his sleeping area and caress Mr. Merlihan inappropriately. This caressing soon became anal penetration, which the priest would manipulate and soon convince Mr. Merlihan that this behavior was acceptable in “the eyes of God”.
For years, Mr. Merlihan never spoke of his abuse and eventually suppressed these horrible memories until this year when he saw the commercial. At this time, all Mr. Merlihan’s memories began to come back to the forefront. At 72 years old, Mr. Merlihan is brave enough to tell his story, in hopes of preventing future attacks at the hands of PIME.
PIME has fraudulently concealed the sexual misconduct that was committed on Mr. Merlihan, and unfortunately, we cannot say how many other adults and their children are still suffering at the hands and abuse of PIME.
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